City of New York awarded Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2012

The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2012 has been awarded to the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg (2002 – present) and the Departments of Transportation, City Planning and Parks and Recreation for New York City’s remarkable transformation from one at risk in the post September 11 period, to one scaling new heights. Within a short span of time, the city has reinvented and rejuvenated itself to give residents and tourists renewed confidence and optimism for the city’s future.

Jointly co-organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore’s land-use planning and conservation authority, and the Centre for Liveable Cities, the biennial international award honours outstanding contributions towards the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities around the world. The City of New York is the second Laureate named since the Prize started in 2009. It was selected by the Nominating Committee and Prize Council from 62 nominations received worldwide after a rigorous two-tier selection process.

Chairman of the Prize Nominating Committee, Kishore Mahbubani said: “The City of New York is an inspiring story of urban rejuvenation. With bold vision, strong leadership, sheer determination, and excellent partnership between government and citizens, there is now a new sense of direction in the city. It has regained its perch as one of the most exciting cities in the world.” Please seeAnnex A for the jury citation on the City of New York.

Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg said: “Receiving the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is not only a great honor, it is an affirmation of our vision for New York as a global leader of sustainable development and innovative public spaces. Our vision has been informed by the experiences of other cities around the world, including Singapore. New York is a city that is open – to all people, commerce, and ideas – and we will continue to make our city an even more attractive place to live, work, and visit. We hope that our story helps inspire other city leaders to promote economic growth by fostering a culture of freedom and innovation.”

“We extend to Mayor Bloomberg our congratulations for a well-deserved commendation. Mayor Bloomberg, together with various agencies including the New York Departments of Transportation, City Planning and Parks and Recreation, have boldly executed and built on transformative initiatives in the city over the past decade. New York has emerged from a city in adversity to a city in continuous advance. Keppel is akin to the galvanising of collective strengths to rise above challenges with renewed vigour,” says Choo Chiau Beng, Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Corporation.

New York’s success factors
Central to the New York city’s success is the swift and effective implementation of the PlaNYC 2007, a long-term, comprehensive plan that aligns city agencies, business groups and the community towards a common goal. One of the key strategies underlying New York’s successful transformation in the last decade is the investment in public infrastructure to increase liveability and sustainability. Improvements have been made to encourage sustainable modes of public transport, such as the Bus Rapid Transit and bicycling. 700 acres (283 hectares) of parks and open spaces have been added in the last 10 years, bringing the total parkland to 29,000 acres (11,736 hectares).

More significantly, the city has displayed a great level of experimentation and innovation with an emphasis on practical urban solutions. Instead of developing on new sites, more than 35,270 square metres of roadways and underunderutilised spaces have been repurposed into ‘instant’ public plazas. Innovative zoning tools have also unlocked development potential of derelict industrial sites to create housing, office spaces, parks and waterfront promenades.

New York City is an excellent example of how persistence, determination, commitment and strong partnership with the community can turn visions into reality. It serves as a model for other global, high-density megacities to rethink their cities in terms of sustainability into the future.

Please refer to Annex B for New York City’s key strategies and achievements.

Six Special Mentions
In addition to the City of New York being named the 2012 Prize Laureate, six other cities and organisations have been identified for Special Mention. These Special Mentions showcase the high quality of the nominations and is an opportunity to facilitate the sharing of best practices in cities. They are (according to alphabetical order):

Prize Award Ceremony at World Cities Summit
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is a major highlight of the upcoming World Cities Summit from 1 to 4 July 2012. The Laureate will receive the Prize at the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Award Ceremony to be held on 2 July 2012. The Prize comprises of S$300,000 (about US$218,000) cash, a gold medallion and an award certificate, fully sponsored by Keppel Corporation. Please see Annex D for more details on the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize.

The World Cities Summit is a premier global platform for world leaders and experts to exchange new ideas on liveable and sustainable urban solutions, explore the latest technologies and forge new business partnerships. Based on the theme of “Liveable And Sustainable Cities – Integrated Urban Solutions”, the third edition of the Summit is expected to share new insights and trends on urbanisation challenges around the world. For more information, visitwww.worldcitiesummit.com.sg

New Prize book on best practices
A new publication presenting the key lessons and insights from the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Laureates and Special Mentions in 2010 and 2012 will be on sale from 2 July 2012, in conjunction with the World Cities Summit 2012. Please check the Prize website atwww.leekuanyewworldcityprize.com.sg for the latest details.

Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA)
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore’s national land use planning and conservation agency. URA’s mission is “to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play in”. We strive to create a vibrant and sustainable city of distinction by planning and facilitating Singapore’s physical development in partnership with the community.

The URA has successfully transformed Singapore into one of the most liveable cities in Asia through judicious land use planning and good urban design, in partnership with both public sector partners and the private sector. URA adopts a long term and comprehensive planning approach in formulating strategic plans such as the Concept Plan and the Master Plan, to guide the physical development of Singapore in a sustainable manner. Its plans and policies focus on achieving a balance between economic growth and a quality living environment. As the conservation authority, URA has an internationally recognised conservation programme, having successfully conserved not only single buildings, but entire districts.

To turn its plans and visions into reality, URA takes on a multi faceted role. In addition to its planning function, URA is also the main government land sales agent. Through sale of state land, it attracts and channels private capital investment to develop sites to meet our land use needs. URA is also the development agency for Marina Bay, the new city extension. To create an exciting cityscape, URA also actively promotes architecture and urban design excellence.
For more information, please visit us at www.ura.gov.sg

Centre for Liveable Cities
The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) was jointly established by the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in June 2008. The CLC is a policy-oriented Centre that seeks to bring together Singapore’s expertise on sustainable urban development in the areas of good governance, urban planning, effective resource management, quality living environment, affordable housing and sustainable transport solutions from across government, industry and academia. The Centre will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practices among cities in the region and globally.

The CLC’s vision is to be a centre of global excellence that brings together the best ideas and practices that support efforts in building liveable cities that are dynamic, vibrant, cohesive and sustainable. CLC seeks to achieve this vision through its mission which is to harness developmental experiences across the public, private and people sectors from Singapore and the rest of the world in order to position Singapore as an innovative thought-centre on high-density urban living and sustainable development.

Keppel Offshore & Marine is a leader in offshore rigs, ship repair and conversion and specialised shipbuilding with a global network of 20 yards and offices. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, it aims to be the provider of choice and partner in solutions for the offshore and marine industry.

Keppel Land is a premier multi-national corporation with projects across Asia Pacific and the Middle East providing urban living solutions through twin core businesses of property development and property fund management. Keppel Land is committed to create live-work-play environments with hallmark excellence in its properties which will have enduring value to the community.

Keppel’s Infrastructure Division comprises environmental engineering, power generation, telecommunications and logistics. Keppel Integrated Engineering is a leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions and services. Keppel Energy has a track record of developing, owning and operating power plants. Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation provides integrated logistics and network engineering services.

As it continues to expand its global presence and penetrate new frontiers, Keppel is committed to its three corporate thrusts of Sustaining Growth in its key businesses, Empowering Lives through continuous training and development, and Nurturing Communities in the countries where it operates.